Here is the info regarding using the Everex Micro-Enhancer
Series EGA boards in the 1000 SX or TX.  ALL 3 MODELS WILL
FIT AND WORK IN THE SX OR TX.  BUT NOT ALL SOFTWARE WILL RUN
ON THEM.  Read on.....

Everex makes 3 EGA boards in the Micro-Enhancer series, as of
this writing (Oct 1988):

EV657-1 - Also called Micro-Enhancer II.  Max resolution 800
x 600.  Auto-switching cannot be disarmed.  Mode switching
software is provided.  Hercules emulation can be disarmed.
VGA emulation is through external software (supplied with the
board).  Has parallel port that can be disabled.  It does not
come with font software.  I understand that Everex's font
replacement software requires the autoswitching to be turned
off to work properly.  Autoswitching can be jumpered for NMI,
IRQ2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.  Comes with several high resolution
drivers.  About $175.00 from the mail order places.

EV659 - Max resolution 640 x 480.  Auto-switching can be
disarmed (this model is newer and has one more dip switch
than the EV657-1).  Hercules emulation can be disarmed.  VGA
emulation is built into the BIOS.  Comes with software
containing 22 EGA fonts, and to provide mode switching that
can be included in batch files.  Has parallel port that can
be disabled.  Autoswitching can be jumpered for NMI, IRQ2, or
IRQ3 (I'm not sure if it can be set to other IRQ's).  Comes
with several high resolution drivers.  About $140.00 from the
mail order places.

EV659A - Identical to EV659, except it has no parallel port.
About $125.00 from the mail order places.

Everex has written drivers for the following programs:

Lotus 123
AutoCadd
Symphony
WordPerfect 5.0
Generic Cadd Level 3 & DotPlot
Framework II
Quattro
Turbo C
Turbo Pascal
Sprint
GEM 3.0
Ventura Publisher
Windows

I purchased the EV657-1, to get the 800 x 600 mode for
Generic Cadd Level 3.  This 800 x 600 driver displays Generic
CADD Level 3 properly, even though my Multisync II is only
supposed to do 800 x 560.   In fact I understand that this
driver was written with the NEC Multisync II as their test
monitor.

I only noticed one glitch after installing this board; The
control-alt-delete combination didn't re-boot the machine
properly.  I thought this was due to running the
autoswitching on the NMI interrupt.  However, after
experimenting I found that the culprit was SMWCLOCK.COM,
which was copied directly from disk included with my
SmartWatch.  When I got the DOS Upgrade for my TX (version
3.20.22 - it's free!), I replaced all of the DOS programs on
my hard disk with the new programs, but somehow I missed the
fact the there was an SMWCLOCK.COM program on the DOS upgrade
disk.  It seems that this program was also updated, the new
version is dated 10/16/87.  Once I replaced SMWCLOCK.COM,
everything works properly.  (The SX also has a similar
upgrade available - the upgrade provides support for EGA)

The only programs I can't get to work on this setup are
Microprose's F-15 Strike Eagle, (I don't know what version,
but I bought it in 1986), and the Tandy version of Flight
Simulator, version 030000.212 (also bought in 1986).  Both of
them drive the monitor crazy.  I don't know if they would
work with a standard EGA monitor, or with the EV659 that
allows you to disarm the autoswitching.  But they will not
work with the EV657-1 and the Multisync II.  (After all, I
am using this as business computer!)

The PFS Professional Series, all of the text based programs
I've tried, and of course, Generic Cadd Level 3, work great.
And the difference between the 640 x 480 and 800 x 600 modes
in Cadd, is remarkable.

Some of these Everex drivers are not included on the disks
packaged with the boards, but can be downloaded from the
Everex Bulletin Board.  The Generic Cadd drivers are
available from Generic Software.  Call Everex for Details.

To install one of these boards, find the video/interrupt
switch block next to the expansion slots on the SX or TX
motherboard.  Turn switch #1 to off.  Install the board with
all of the jumpers in the default positions (NMI and all),
and you're all set.  Set the dip switches to fit your
particular setup.  If you get one of the versions with the
parallel port, be sure to dis-arm it or it will conflict with
the SX/TX built-in printer port.  Good Luck.


Rich Doig


I updated this file in November, 1988 to remove the
references to a program named SAVENMI, which I uploaded last
October.  It turns out that this program wasn't doing what I
though it did, and didn't do anything for this board.  (It
also screwed up Generic DotPlot).  I recently saw a model
EV659-1 listed in some ads.  I suspect that this is the EV659
updated to 800 x 600 resolution, probably when existing
stocks of the EV657-1 ran out.